An evacuation order is valid for coastal areas of Louisiana. Many vacationers are also trying to escape, which led to long traffic jams on the highways yesterday, as evidenced by the photos below:
Authorities have stated that Ida will become a “extremely severe” Category 4 hurricane, which could cause “life-threatening flooding” and “catastrophic wind damage.” High winds and torrential rain are also expected in Ida.
The governor of Louisiana, the largest city of which is New Orleans, warned that the hurricane could be the worst to hit the state since 1850. He declared a state of emergency and asked all residents to seek safe haven by last night.
16 years after Hurricane Katrina
Some experts believe that Ida will gain more weight than Hurricane Katrina. This hurricane devastated much of New Orleans in 2005. The 1,833 deaths and over $150 billion in damage were caused mainly by flooding, storm surge, and torrential rain. This is where the danger lies with Ida.
Weather models take into account a gust of up to 4.5 metres. And with 300 to 400 mm of rain in a short time, an amount that falls in the Netherlands on average in six months. But there is a scenario that assumes more than 1,000 mm of rain. There is also the possibility that Ida could unexpectedly become stronger than Class 4.
President Biden pledged assistance to hurricane-affected nations.
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